Initial Questions to Ask

Question 1

Customer

Answer 1

+Who is the customer?
-Identify segments (segment size, growth rate, percentage of market)
-Compare current year metrics to historical metrics (look for trends)
+What does each customer segment want?(identify key needs)
+Price sensitivity of each segment
+Distribution channel preference by segment
+Customer concentration and power

Question 2

Product

Answer 2

+Nature of product (what it does, how it’s used, why it’s useful
+Commodity or differentiable good
+Identify complementary goods
+Identify substitutes (Indirect competitors? Don’t buy anything?)
+Product’s life cycle (new vs obsolete)
+Packaging

Question 3

Company

Answer 3

\+Capabilities and expertise
\+Distribution channels
\+Cost structure (fixed vs variable)
\+Investment cost (optional: only if case involves an investment decision)
\+Intangibles
\+Financial situation
\+Organizational structure

Question 4

Competition

Answer 4

+Competitor Market concentration
+Competitor behaviors (target segment, products, pricing, distribution
+Best practices (are they doing thing we’re not?)